ee ee 
rr eee 
1 Ave., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 277 
CONCLUSIONS. 
From all that has been written, and the legislation that has been enacted 
in different countries, it is apparent that tuberculosis is considered a contagious 
disease, and, in consequence of its insidious and at the same time dangerous: 
nature, it should be eliminated or at least controlled. 
It is to help the stockbreeders and dairy farmers to keep their herds free: 
from tuberculosis that this article has been specially written. Those who will: 
carefully study the information contained therein will acquire a knowledge of 
how it affects the individuals in a herd, and also how its ravages may be pre- 
vented. By proper management, as described in this and previous articles, 
eattle-owners may succeed in keeping healthy herds without the great loss 
entailed by the indiscriminate slaughter of all animals showing traces of 
tuberculosis. 
Professor Nocard, of the State Veterinary School, Alford, France, says :— 
“Tt is not necessary to contest the question whether contagion is the 
rincipal cause of the rapid and incessant progress of bovine tuberculosis ; 
Heneittee contributes very feebly to it, and it may be said its agency in spread- 
ing the disease is insignificant, and may be practically disregarded. Thousands 
may be quoted, both with respect to man and beast, where the offspring of 
parents, either or both of which were tuberculous, have lived without having 
presented the least symptoms of tuberculosis. In the course of a large number 
of examinations that I have been able to make, I have found adult cows in a 
tubercular state, and I have seen their places in the herd subsequently taken. 
by their own calves, which were perfectly healthy.” 
All through this article the line of thought has been more or less 
directed to the prevention of the spread of the disease from animal to animal. 
The fact, however, must not be lost sight of, and I lay great stress on it here, 
that an animal attended by a tuberculous person who spits about the cowshed 
might take the disease ; therefore, it is evident that we have to make a crusade 
against this disease from a number of standpoints. We find cattle becoming 
tuberculous from the human subject and vice versa, thus forming a complete 
circle of invasion ; the more frequently this circle is broken, the more sure we 
are to ultimately get rid of tuberculosis. Medical men can do a lot to break 
the circle between the individual human subjects, and can also to a certain 
extent break the circle between the human subject and the animal, but it is 
very difficult indeed, unless co-operation takes place from all sides, to break the 
circle at other points. 
It is quite true that the Government of this State have instituted 
measures which look after infected meat and milk for the protection of man, 
but this alone is a long way round to achieve the idea of controlling tuber- 
culosis. The right way is to go to the source, and the only logical way to 
protect man against infection from cattle is to prevent and stamp out the 
disease from the animals themselves. 
In a large country like Queensland, where the population is so widely 
scattered, and where veterinary surgeons are few and far between, it is 
practically impossible, considering the cost which would be involved, to have the 
same legislative measures as exist in Denmark. Therefore, in making an 
active crusade against tuberculosis, the stockbreeders and dairy farmers must be 
relied upon to do their share of the work, but in order that the work may be 
carried on to the very best possible advantage it becomes necessary to acquire a 
knowledge of the character of the disease and of the causes that are conducive 
to its spread. 
Not only will the staff of the Bacteriological Institute give advice and 
earnestly render every available assistance within reason, but I feel confident 
that the Government veterinary inspectors, the officers under the Live Stock 
and Meat Export Act, and the dairy inspectors will be only too pleased, as far 
as lies in their power, to impart all the necessary information relating to a 
rational means of suppressing tuberculosis, the ravages of which must be 
seriously considered as a national loss. 
